Paul the Libertarian

The libertarian ideology has a forerunner in the Gospels, but for many libertarians, who are either agnostic or atheistic, they would most likely not be aware that in the Gospel, man is set free from the law, and enters into the divine guidance of God's grace and goodness through the Holy Spirit.

"The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law." (1 Corinthians 15: 56)

Libertarians like Lao-Tzu noticed a similar phenomenon:

"The more laws and order are made prominent, the more thieves and robbers there will be."

Yet the Chinese thinkers refused to identity the cause: sin. We have a fallen nature, which we have inherited from our first parents.
In Christ, we are called to liberty ( Galatians 5: 1)

Paul the apostle is the most libertarian of all statesman. He explained how through Christ's death, we have been liberated from the bondage of the law. In Ephesians, Paul writes:

"For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us;

"Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace; " (Ephesians 2: 14: 15)

In Colossians, Paul writes:

"Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;

"And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it." (Colossians 2: 14-15)

Is the law sin? Paul counters this charge right away:

"What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid. Nay, I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet." (Romans 7: 7)

Then what is the law for?:

"But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed.

"Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.

"But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster." (Galatians 3: 23-25)

The law has been given to man in order to bring us to the end of ourselves, that would receive the grace of God by faith, and be led by His Spirit:

"For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:

"That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit." (Romans 8: 3-4)

Paul explains this explicitly to the Galatians, who were confused and deceived by the legalism of Judaizers who had infiltrated the Body of Christ in Galatia:

"This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.

"For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.

"But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law." (Galatians 5: 16-18)

The problem for many libertarians, sadly, is that they do not know or believe in the Holy Spirit, through whom we receive the Spirit of Adoption, that we be called the Sons of God (John 1: 12)

In Christ there is true liberty:

"And that because of false brethren unawares brought in, who came in privily to spy out our liberty which we have in Christ Jesus, that they might bring us into bondage:" (Galatians 2: 4)

and once again:

"Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage." (Galatians 5: 1)

Jesus told us of a better kingdom, of a greater expanse of rule:

"But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you." (Matthew 6: 33)

For the believer, that is as easy as resting in the Holy Spirit:

"For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost." (Romans 14: 17)

The freedom which Paul declares available to all in Christ is greater than the thinkings and ruminations of the Austrian economists, more complete and fulfilling than the arguments of Murray Rothbard, more affirming than the doctrines and dogmas of Congressman Ron Paul.